Part 2 of The Murder Family series.

XXXX

Will startled awake to a loud clatter from downstairs, a sort of metal on wood sound. Sleep rapidly fled as Will hopped out of bed in just a t-shirt and boxers to make his way to the stairs where he listened for what was happening. Memories of Margot flashed into his mind and the sudden urge to check on the twins had him in the nursery before he'd even realized he'd moved. Both Claude and Veronique slept peacefully in their cribs which instantly soothed his nerves, but Winston was absent and he knew he'd not imagined that clatter. So, with slow steps, Will made his way to the first floor where he spotted the dining room light had been turned on and more metal on wood sounds emulated – though nowhere near as loudly. Carefully he padded to the doorway only to be met by Winston coming out. The dog didn't seem alarmed or bothered at all which was good, but Winston couldn't have turned that light on and that only left one option. Sure enough, sat at the dining room table was Hannibal shirtless, bloody gauze in a neat pile and various medical paraphernalia set out beside it.

"What the fuck happened?!" Will demanded as he rushed to his mate's side in time to see Hannibal tie the suture and reach for the bandages. Blue eyes finally took notice of the bloody bullet Hannibal had dug out of his flesh. "Was this Jack?"

"No, my darling boy, this was Mason Verger and he is now dead in the House's basement. I am fine, I promise." Despite the pain he was surely in, Hannibal pulled Will down into his lap and cuddled him close. Muscles might have been exhausted but that didn't stop him pulling Will close. "Jack is dead, he can never hurt you or another omega again. Mason Verger is dead. Abel Gideon is dead. Every guard other than Jimmy Price, Barney Matthews and a new beta named Josh, are dead. The House is gone."

Will swallowed. The House couldn't hurt anybody anymore, Will and the other omegas were free. He didn't believe it – no, he wanted to believe it but a little voice in the back of his head couldn't quite grasp that, in a single night, such a place of evil had been reduced to nothingness. He'd escaped from the House knowing nothing of the real world or if he'd even survive the snow, knowing that if he did survive then he'd spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, yet Hannibal had ripped it all down for him. Those monsters couldn't perpetuate their violence and savagery another moment.

A kiss to his temple brought Will's mind back to him. "You're free, brangusis. I love you and you are free. You're friends are alive and well, Jimmy and Barney are with them."

After Hannibal had left for the House there had been a good hour of Will chastising himself, of screaming he shouldn't have let Hannibal walk out the door as casually as if he'd popped out to get milk. His mate not returning had been a real possibility but he'd just pretended Hannibal was some immortal being. Did Hannibal have a guardian angel watching over him? Were serial killers allowed to have those?

"Can I see them?" Will suddenly asked which surprised even himself. "Now, not in the morning."

After a moment Hannibal nodded. It wasn't exactly a short drive but he only had afternoon appointments, and Will wouldn't be able to calm himself until he'd seen everyone personally. That was why Hannibal agreed, not because he cared deeply for the well-being of those at the House or because he was a good person, just so his mate felt better. Having gained permission without much fuss, Will rushed back upstairs, flicked on the bedroom light, practically blinding himself, and yanked the closet open. The sight of Hannibal's pristine suits hanging beside Will's preferred jeans and plaid shirts had always amused him but he'd not thought about it in that moment, instead he'd grabbed what he needed and pulled them on. Once the buttons of his shirt were closed, he caught sight of himself in a mirror and opted to run a comb through his messy curls; Hannibal would have only grumbled about it and ushered him back upstairs had he not. Presentable, he made his way out into the hall just in time to see Hannibal ascend the stairs.

"If you'd kindly ready the twins, Will, I shall change and then drive us to the House." He kissed the omega's temple. "Are you certain you want to go back there? Just looking at the building can stir up traumas."

Will took a calming breath. "I need to do this, Hannibal. I get what you're saying but I have to see my friends, I want them to know I didn't just forget about them. Besides, Jack's dead and you'll be with me, right?" Hannibal nodded an affirmative. "Then nothing bad can happen."

With his mind made up, Will continued to the nursery while Hannibal changed out of his bloody things. Veronique still slept soundly but Claude had roused and looked up at his daddy with those maroon eyes he'd inherited from Hannibal; Will had no doubt Claude would become the spitting image of the alpha soon enough. Despite the late hour and somewhat rude awakening, the twins didn't protest as Will dressed them in warm clothing and placed each of them in their car seats.

They drove the hour journey to Wolf Trap thankfully with the twins having slipped back off into sleep. The radio stayed off and the mates didn't say much; while not an uncomfortable silence, it felt inappropriate to chatter. Hannibal kept his eyes firmly on the road while Will stared out the passenger window as streets turned into open plains and eventually dense woodland. In a couple more hours the sun would begin to rise signalling a new day, a day without Jack Crawford in it, a day without Mason Verger in it.

Hannibal turned off the road then and up a dirt path which could have been so easily missed. A Bentley on a dirt road, that would likely lead to a thorough cleaning later. Twists, turns and steadily narrowing paths were the next fifteen minutes of their drive. Will had always wondered how people had actually reached the House and it seemed he finally had his answer, they had to know exactly where they were going and be careful not to strike a tree on one of the narrow turnings. Hannibal stopped the car eventually under a thick crop of trees beside three other cars – two were beat-up mini vans, one navy and the other black, while the third car was a better-kept Land Rover which surely must have belonged to Jack. Will might not have been aware, but Hannibal had bothered to ask Price about the cars; the Land Rover was indeed Jack's, while the mini vans were used to transport all the guards around in shifts to limit the number of vehicles travelling the area. There had likely been a third mini van which Cordell had used to move the kidnapped omegas to a proper truck.

"We walk from here, Will," said Hannibal as he turned the engine off. "It's not far."

They made quick work of taking the twins out the Bentley and started off up a small incline in the dark. Hannibal used his cellphone as a flashlight and insisted on carrying Veronique's car seat despite the bullet hole in him. The very second that ghastly cocreate building came into view Will's feet stopped and refused to go further. He just stared up at it with panicked blue eyes and knew this was exactly what Hannibal had feared.

"Relax, William. All is well. I will never harm you. There is no need to go inside, you have every right to change your mind. I'll take you home if that is what you want."

"No," breathed Will. "This is something I need to do." So, despite Hannibal's concerns, the two made their way toward the House illuminated only by a single light at the main door. "Did you really kill everyone?"

Hannibal confirmed he had as he buzzed the main door, that they bodies were out of the way in the basement. The House's horrors would be confined down there from now on where they couldn't inflict more trauma.

The mates were admitted then and slipped inside only to sit the twins' car seats onto the reception desk before Price. The silver-haired beta quickly flashed the pair of them a silly smile before he turned to Will.

"Everything is okay, Will. Hannibal did what he said he would." Though quiet, it amazed the three men just how much lighter the place felt without Jack or Mason in it. "The others are in your old room, do you want to see them?"

"Of course I do." Will replied emphatically, he'd come all the way out into Wolf Trap, he'd not turn away now. "Let's go."

So up the stairs they all went. While the clean up wasn't perfect, it was surely better than it had been two hours ago – something Will was thankful for. The scent of bleach lingered in the air to the point it was almost choking, but at least the bodies were out of sight. That the security gates were all wide open was what surprised Will the most, the omegas didn't really have anywhere to go, but the simple fact the gates were unlocked proved just how much had changed in such a short amount of time.

Will swallowed before slipping inside the small room he'd spent so many years of his life trapped in; that door had been wide open as well, all the doors were. Hannibal and Price lingered in the doorway as Will was hauled into a desperate hug by Abigail, a tight thing which threatened to cut his air off for a moment there.

"You came back! You came back!"

Will kissed the younger girl's head softly. "I'm sorry it took so long."

Nobody knew quite what they'd expected from their reunion, but Alana cutting it short hadn't been among the possibilities.

"You're Doctor Hannibal Lecter." Alana accused drawing everybody's attention to her. "I've seen you at charity events before. You donated to the Omega Lives fund – a huge amount. Why are you here?"

That threw the ball firmly into Hannibal's court but he wasn't worried, always had a charming answer for everything prepared.

"Will is a former captive of the House, he is now my mate and I want only for his happiness. His greatest wish was for his friends, and by extension you, to be freed from this captivity just as he was. I assure you, Miss Bloom, I am now the only alpha in this building and it will stay that way."

"So you're the new master?" Asked Abigail as she continued to cling to Will.

"No," Hannibal shook his head. "I have no intention of taking over Jack Crawford's business nor locking you all back up."

Will squeezed the young teen. He'd always felt protective of her, she'd been so young when she'd been carried into the House and Will had always sense a sort of kinship between them, like they were cut from the same cloth or, probably more correctly, lingered in the same darkness. A darkness he could tell Abigail saw lurked in Hannibal as well.

~X~

Several hours later after the omegas and remaining betas had gotten some rest and mentally digested Jack's and Mason's deaths, when Will had greeted his friends and grieved the loss of Beverly and Brian – he trusted Hannibal to find them just as he had with the House – Josh and Barney had gathered everybody in the library. For many it was the first time they'd left their rooms for anything other than the intermittent showers and bathroom privileges they'd been given under Jack's rule, but gathered they had. Hannibal could easily see how suspicious they all were of him, the alpha who'd come in and basically single-handedly killed all their kidnappers and jailers, but Will beside him with the twins helped to soften his image somewhat.

The library had a mezzanine around it on three sides reminiscent of his office but without the ornate design and expense, it had probably been used to store equipment for whatever the House had been originally, so Hannibal had climbed the winding stairs up there with Will to address those gathered.

"I know you are all wondering what is happening and I don't blame you for that, it is a logical thing to do. As you should all know by now, Jack Crawford is dead, there will be no more masters and Mason Verger cannot inflict his sadism in guise of keeping you all in line. They are gone. Now, while it is undeniable I am an alpha, I am only here at the behest of Jimmy Price and Barney Matthews as well as my mate, Will. You will be owned by nobody from this moment forth." Hannibal could feel the atmosphere in the room steadily change. "You are free to return to your homes if you wish to, I shan't stop you. However, the House had clients who are high-ranking members of the police so the House cannot be exposed publicly. While your wish for revenge, for people to know your stories, is understandable it will only paint targets on your own backs and that of my mate. This is the one thing I won't allow. I've already spoken with Alana Bloom who has access to the resources to help you adjust to life outside the House, I ask that you accept those resources. She and I will work to create a new narrative which keeps the House a secret."

One of the braver omegas launched to her feet. "So we're meant to let them get away with it?!"

"No." Hannibal's maroon eyes snapped to the redhead with as soft an expression as he could muster. "They will not be getting away with it, I assure you."

Abigail pushed off the wall beside the door then and gestured at Hannibal while addressing the redhead. "Look what he did to everybody else who hurt us. He's like our own personal angel now. 'Cause they're not getting away with it. He's just saying it'll be dealt with quietly."

Hannibal didn't know he agreed with the word angel, assassin or demon might have been more apt, and he certainly wasn't theirs but rather Will's. Still, Abigail's comment, though bloody, had allowed Hannibal to ingratiate himself in their minds and solidify the idea he was one of them. From the look on Abigail's face, she'd realized the same thing – 'A peculiar girl and possibly a dangerously intelligent one' said his brain quietly.

Will stepped forward. "If you won't listen to Hannibal, listen to me. I came here when I was fifteen because my dad was a drunk and disgusted his son was an omega. I had no family to go back to, but Hannibal saved me and loved me and did all of this for me. Some of you do have families that miss you, so is keeping to an edited version of where you've been really that much to bear? I know you want revenge, I do too, and we'll get it. We'll just get it without courts or camera crews being involved."

"Probably better courts aren't involved." That had curious expressions turn to Alana. "The alphas who came here were influential people, if we expose them to the world they'll bury us all and swan out of any court they make it to with smirks. At least this way we'll actually get some justice."

Ultimately it seemed the omegas and three remaining betas were inclined to agree with Alana. She nor Hannibal were quite sure what edited truth they'd spin yet, but between them they could come up with something entirely believable.

Barney cleared his throat. "What about those who don't have anywhere to go?"

That was a valid question. Some had been sold by their so-called loved ones or had been plucked off the streets, even with all the horrors that had gone on inside the House, at least they'd had a roof over their head and eaten somewhat regularly.

"I can help with that as well. My charity work has left me with quite the stable network and I know I can help you all find housing and even jobs. It'll be slow, but it can be done. Or, I suppose you can stay here if you want."

Stay there? Was Alana serious? Hannibal had intended on burning the place to the ground once everybody had cleared out, not turning it into a halfway house for lost omegas. However, Will instantly perked up at the idea and leaned in to whisper to Hannibal.

"Could we do that? This place is big and isolated. Here they'd be safe."

"Will, it's not a hostel. Besides, I'm not even sure if someone technically owns this land or not. Those alphas all know where the House is and may use it to their advantage."

Will shrugged. "They won't be around for long and Jimmy said they don't actually know where the House is, just a general area and one of the guards would meet them to escort them. Please, Hannibal? Maybe the House can be something good for a change, something Claude and Veronique can be proud of instead of fear."

Damn Will's logical reasoning and needy omega eyes that tugged on Hannibal's heart strings. It wasn't a wise idea, filled with dangers and much more hassle than it was worth, but Will had such enthusiasm for this and Hannibal had never been able to deny him.